A tad late, Inquiry into the Beaches of Toronto

In thinking of the development of the water resources that surround Toronto, I became interested in the development of beaches. In reading the article which discusses the development of Hamilton and its relation to its native waterways, I became interested in the development of beaches in Toronto. Beaches were represented as both a necessity of a booming population and a source of leisure. The questions of the expanding populace along with the need for the disposal of waste and the quest of leisure by the citizens were all interesting themes. Toronto, being so much bigger and grander than Hamilton led me to start the inquiry into the same issues on a local level.

Toronto being a larger metropolitan area would have different situations to contend with, with a population growing at a much more alarming rate. Currently, in Toronto, there are eleven listed beaches on their website. I would attempt to explore their development, and use and maintenance today. My research would look both at the urban planning and environmental issues surrounding the development of the beaches and their overall impact to Toronto and the Great Lakes as a whole.

Somethings I would be interested in is the status of beaches during the era of dangerous pollutants in the lake and how this affected beaches and beachgoers. The ways the development of the beaches affected the environments in which it inhabited. And also the current status of the beaches today, how they are maintained and their current effects on the environment. These questions would be the underlying thought behind the research I conduct into the topic.

Beaches are perhaps the most common way in which everyday people interact with the lake and rivers surrounding Toronto. That is why I find it important to understanding the ways in which society and nature collide. How does society negatively and positively affect nature? To study the beaches I believe would be to study the interaction between the growing metropolitan city and its effects on nature.